UCLA is developing the Vector fluxgate Magnetometer (VMAG) for the Demonstration and Science Experiment (DSX) mission based on a sigmal-delta design. VMAG will support both the Space Weather (SWx) and Wave Particle Interaction (WPIx) payloads on DSX, which will be launched into the Medium-Earth Orbit Space Environment Regime.

The vector magnetometer provides measurements of the terrestrial field, which is essential to fulfill the two primary goals of the DSX science program. The fluxgate magnetometer provides the necessary data to support both the Space Weather (SWx) specification and mapping requirements and the WPIx requirements. The magnetic field is necessary to reconstruct pitch-angle distributions (PADs), to calculate phase space densities, and to determine important local plasma parameters such as plasma beta and the local index of refraction. The fluxgate magnetometer provides measurements of the magnetic fields caused by currents that flow into and above the Earth's ionosphere. These currents close with currents in the Earth's magnetosphere, via field-aligned currents, and measuring these currents is essential for improvements in magnetospheric specification models.